


Collection

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Series: Red Hood!Dick AU [7]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2015-07-07
Packaged: 2018-04-08 02:59:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4288185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How the Red Hood collected his birds.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Collection

**Author's Note:**

> Since Jason’s scenario was more or less explained in _Protected_ , I didn’t get into it here. I kind of meant for Dick to be super dark about gathering the Robins, but it really didn’t turn out that way. Also, Tim and Steph might have given in too easily. Oops.

Damian’s back slammed against the wall, and that’s when he realized this might not be going the way he wanted. He examined his surroundings. All six of the criminals had some sort of a weapon. Three blades, a bat, a pipe and a crowbar. But he also noticed that the woman they had been assaulting had just reached the mouth of the alleyway. She’d gotten away. That was all that mattered.

The group began to advance on him. He pulled a batarang from his utility belt, holding it up threateningly. The men didn’t care. In fact, the seemed to find it funny. Two of the men on the outer sides of the semi-circle advanced on him and suddenly, two shots ran through the air.

Damian blinked, watching in surprise as the two men collapsed, blood gushing from the instant holes in their heads. The other four thugs gasped and swore, but one of them looked back up at Damian.

“Called for backup, eh?” He snapped. Three more shots sounded, and three more thugs fell. The man looked at his fallen brethren before shifting the grip on his knife, and lunging forward. Damian shifted to dodge, but tripped over one of the bodies at his feet, and felt the knife slash at his throat. “You’ll pay for that you little piece of shit.”

The man grabbed Damian’s throat with one hand, stabbing the blade into the child’s arm with the other. Damian let out a grunt of pain as the blade dug through his arm, heading towards his wrist.

Another shot rang out. Then a second. Third, fourth, fifth.

The man’s eyes widened, and his body twitched as each shot barreled into him. First his arm, then side, shoulders, throat and finally one through his temple. The knife dislodged as the hand that held it fell.

“He was a little faster than I thought he was.”

Damian grit his teeth in pain and looked up towards the voice. He didn’t recognize this person. Tall and lean, in dark pants and a leather jacket. There was a red domino across his eyes, a smoking gun being leaned leisurely against his shoulder. When he met Damian’s gaze, he looked almost sad. Apologetic.

“Sorry.”

“We don’t _kill_.” Damian hissed, sliding across the wall, distancing himself from this new person. “Who the hell are you?”

“I know you don’t. That’s why I did it for you.” The stranger grinned. He holstered his weapon and stepped forward, holding his hands up peacefully. “Would you believe me if I said I’m a friend?”

“No.”

“Well, I am.” The man seemed desperate as he looked down at Damian’s arm. “You’re going to bleed out.”

“No I won’t.”

“Okay, you’re right. You probably won’t.” The stranger nodded. “But let me help anyway?”

Damian hesitated, feeling his vision haze. It wasn’t going to kill him, but he could already feel that he’d lost at least half a pint of blood. He took another step towards the alley entrance. “I…”

It was a bottle, or maybe one of those dead thugs’ arms. Regardless, Damian’s foot connected with something, and he felt his knee give out. Right before his face bounced off the concrete, he felt an arm grab around his waist, and yank him back up.

“Just trust somebody, Damian.” The man breathed, not relinquishing his hold as he pushed Damian’s hair off his forehead. “Just this once, trust _somebody_ to help you.”

As his vision continued to flicker, and the stranger pulled Damian’s arm across his shoulder, Damian realized he didn’t have much of a choice, and nodded.

~~

They were only halfway back to the safe house when Red Robin blocked their path.

“Let him go.” Red ordered, holding his staff in front of him.

“He’s hurt.” Dick said quickly. “I just want to help him. He can’t stay out here like this.”

Red Robin took a step forward. “Let. Him. Go.”

“Tim – can I call you Tim? – I swear, I just want to help him.” Dick explained. Red Robin straightened at the sound of his name.

“Who…?”

“Come with us.” Dick pleaded. “I’ll take you both to my base and you can fix him up. No tricks or gimmicks. I’ll explain everything when I get back from running a few errands.”

Tim hesitated, looking between him and Damian. Just reading his body language, Dick could tell Tim was still suspicious, but those suspicions were clashing with seeing an injured child in front of him.

“You’ve gotta make a decision, buddy.” Dick ordered, shifting Damian’s weight tighter against his side. And he didn’t want to, but he chanced it. One little white lie wouldn’t hurt. “Damian doesn’t have the time.”

Tim’s eyes flickered back up, looking for deception in Dick’s form. Dick knew he wasn’t going to find it. And Damian wasn’t conscious enough to call him out.

“…Okay.” Tim’s shoulders slumped, clearly not happy with giving in. “Lead the way, mister…”

“Hood.” Dick grinned as he moved past Tim’s angry glare. “Call me the Red Hood.”

~~

Batgirl landed on the roof in front of him. Quickly, she glanced around. “There’s no…robbery going on here, is there?”

Dick smiled, pushing off against the ledge. “No ma’am.”

Stephanie cocked her hip, keeping one hand against her utility belt. “And you are?”

“Red Hood.” Dick explained. “And you’re Stephanie, right?”

Stephanie blinked, not replying.

“Former Robin. Me too.” Dick laughed, patting the guns on his hips. “Damian’s got it now. He’s pretty intense, eh? Good, though. He’s real good.”

Stephanie tensed, recalling Jason and Barbara’s frantic exchange just moments ago, before Oracle mentioned a potential robbery. Both Damian and Tim had recently dropped offline.

“You have them, don’t you?” She whispered, shifting her stance from nonchalant to offensive.

“They’re safe, I promise.” Dick moved too, taking a small step forward. “I’d like to make sure you were safe, too, if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t understand what that means.” Stephanie countered. “Where are Robin and Red Robin?”

“Safe.”

“That doesn’t say where they are.” Stephanie snapped.

“I’ll take you to them, if you’ll let me.” Dick tried, holding his hand out. “To be honest, I might need you to. I don’t think Damian will let Tim fix his arm.”

Stephanie found herself suddenly holding her staff, her grip tight. “And what happened to Damian’s _arm_?”

“Stabbed.” Dick waved it off. “It won’t kill him, but I’d rather be safe than sorry and patch it up. And before you ask, no, I didn’t do it. I would _never_ do that. But I took care of the guy who did.”

Stephanie didn’t like that phrasing. _Took care of_. She found herself glancing down at the guns still holstered on his hips.

“You…” she started slowly. “You said you were a Robin once?”

“I was.”

“But…” Stephanie felt her face scrunch, slightly disarmed by this man’s easygoing smile. “But that’s _impossible_. Because the only other person who was Robin…well, he…”

“I’ll explain everything.” Dick said softly. “As soon as I go get Jason.”

Stephanie tried to think it through. Because what he was implying…

“If you don’t want to, that’s fine. I might have to drug you in that case.” Dick shrugged. “But Stephanie? I will promise you something right here and now. I will not hurt you. I swear on my life, I will _never_ hurt you.”

And despite everything, Stephanie found herself…trusting that promise.

“Jay is…well, he’s with B.” Stephanie lowered her staff. “Scouring the city for the boys. Would you hurt either of them?”

“Jason, no.” Dick was terse. “Bruce, I…I can’t guarantee that.”

She stood there, thinking it over, watching as Dick approached her. Slowly, he reached his hand out to her cowl and gently pinched at her ear. No pain, and when his fingers came away, the remnants of her communicator hung between them.

Suddenly, Dick grabbed her, pulling her against his chest and un-holstering a gun at the same time. He shot twice over her shoulder. Before she could turn, she heard a grunt, and the sound of a body hitting another roof.

“He was tailing you for two blocks.” Dick muttered angrily, releasing her. “I didn’t have a clear shot until now.”

“Well…if potentially saving my butt doesn’t owe you a favor, I don’t know what does.” Stephanie whistled. The Red Hood flashed a grin. “Where to, Mystery Man?”

**Author's Note:**

> [Other Red Hood!Dick stories.](http://fishfingersandjellybabies.tumblr.com/tagged/Redhood%21Dick+au)


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